Hitch or coupler



Aug. 23, 1938. M. P. GRAHAM ET Al. 2,127,913

` l BITCH 0R GOUPLER Original Filed Nov. 2, 1936 Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE Joseph E. Cane, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Thompson Products Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio original application November z, 193s, serial No.

ZCiaims.

'This invention relates to hitches or couplers particularly adapted for connecting a trailer with a propelling vehicle. More specifically, this invention relates to a conveniently disengaged hitch having automatic wear take-up features.

This application is a division of our co-pending application entitled ITrailer hitch", Serial No.

108,782, filed November 2, 1936.

According to the present invention, a single l0 connection is provided between the propelling vehicle and the trailer. The connecting device or coupler includes two interconnecting parts, one of which is secured to the propelling vehicle and the other of which is secured to the trailer. The trailer part includes a tongue member attached to the front end of the trailer having a ball socket secured thereon for receiving the ball end of a stud carried by a draw bar extending from the propelling vehicle. The ball socket is composed of two hingedly connected housing parts having complementarily registering segmental spherical inner bearing walls. The hingedly connected parts are readily locked together.

One of the housing parts carries a spring-urged wear take-up member adapted to engage the ball end of a ball member seated on the segmental spherical bearing walls of the housing part.

It is then an object of this invention to pro vide a single ball and socket connection between a propelling vehicle and a pulled vehicle having automatic wear take-up means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coupler including a ball-ended member seated in a housing member composed of two complemen- 36 tary parts adapted to be locked together.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a coupler, a spring-urged bearing block for taking up wear developed during use of the coupier.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

On the drawing;

Figure 1 is a plan view, with a part cut away and shown in horizontal cross section, of a hitch or coupler according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view, with 50 parts shown in elevation, taken substantially along the line II-II oi' Figure 1.

As shown on the drawing: The reference numeral i0 designates a tongue member or rod adapted to be connected to the 55 front end of a trailer. The reference numeral Divided and this application May 13, 1937, Serial No. 142,342

I I designates a draw bar adapted to be connected to the rear end of a propelling vehicle. The end of the tongue or rod iii has a coupling housing i2 secured thereon or formed integral therewith. The housing i3 carries on the side thereof a ciosure member or cap i4 pivotally connected thereon as at i5. The closure member I4 and the housing i2 together deilned a segmental spherical socket I6 with an annular opening l1 at the base thereof. The housing member Il and the closure member i4 have biiurcated ends i8 for receiving therebetween a bolt i9 which is pivoted to the housing member I3 as at 20. The bolt i8 extends through the bifurcated ends IB of the closure member i4 and receives thereon a wing nut 2i for tightening the closure member i4 to the housing member i3. If desired, the face of the bifurcated ends i8 of the member i4 may be receased as at 22 for receiving therein a washer 23 disposed around the bolt i9 between the closure member I 4 and the wing nut 2i. With this construction, the wing nut must be loosened to permit removal of the washer 23 from the recess portlon 22 before the bolt i9 can be swung out of the bifurcated ends i8 of the closure member i4 to permit the closure member i4 to be swung away from the housing member il, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

'I'he housing I2 has a portion 25 extending from the back side thereof having a cylindrical bore 26 therethrough. A seating element or bearing block 21 is slidable in the bore 26 and has a segmental spherical depression 22 communicating with the segmental spherical socket i8 through an opening 29 in the socket wall. The opening 22 is of smaller diameter than the diameter of the seating element 21 so that the seating element cannot enter into the socket I0.

The seating element 21 has a shank portion 30 extending from the back thereof. A coiled spring 2i is disposed around the shank portion 30 between the seating element 21 and a closure plate 22 secured in the portion 25 of the housing. The coil spring 3| urges the seating element toward the opening 29 in the socket wall.

The draw bar il has an eye end at 40 for re ceiving therethrough the shank portion 4i ot a ball-ended stud designated generally by the reference numeral 42. The stud 42 has a collar portion 42 abutting the top of the eye end 40. A nut 44 is threaded on the end of the shank 4I of the stud 42 extending through the bottom of the eye end 40, and a washer 45 is interposed between the nut 44 and the bottom of the eye end. The nut 44 pulls the shank 4I through the eye 40 so that the collar position 43 of the stud tightly abuts the top of the eye end. In this manner, the stud 42 is held rigidly on the draw bar il and extends upwardly therefrom.

The stud 42 has a ball end 4B adapted to be seated in the socket I8 of the housing and closure member. The tongue i is coupled to the draw bar il by merely loosening the wing nut 2| so as to be able to swing the bolt i9 out of engagement with the closure member i4 of the housing I3. The closure member is then swung open about its pivot point, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the ball end 4l of the stud 42 is seated in the socket Ii. The closure member I4 is then swung back to receive the bolt I8 and the wing nut 2| is tightened to force the closure member against the housing. Since the closure member and housing deiine together a segmental spherical socket, the ball end 46 of the stud is freely rotatable and tiltable within the closed housing.

Wear developed during use of the lioint is automatically compensated for by the spring-urged seating member 21 which engages a portion of the ball end 46 of the stud and is constantly urged against this bail end.

From the above description, it will be apparent that this invention provides a simple hitch or coupler composed of two hinged together. socket forming members which may be placed into position for receiving the ball end of a stud member. A spring-urged bearing block or seating element acts against the ball end of the stud in the socket to prevent looseness in the joint and to take up wear developed during use of the joint.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

l. In a hitch, a tongue member having a housing on the end thereof provided with a flat side face and a segmental spherical depression in said face, a closure member having a'at side face with a segmental spherical depression therein pivoted to said housing and adapted to be swung against the fiat side face of the housing with the depression therein in alignment with the depression in the housing to form a ball socket, said closure member and said housing having openings through the bottom thereof communicating with the ball socket to permit the shank of a ball stud to extend therefrom, a boss portion formed on the back of the housing member having a cylindrical bore therein registering with the segmental spherical socket depression thereof, a seating element having a segmental spherical depression in the face thereof slidable in said bore, and spring means urging said seating element toward the segmental spherical depression in the housing.

2. In a hitch, a tongue member having a housing secured on the end thereof andprovided with a flat side face having a segmental spherical bearing wall therein, a closure member having a mating side face and a mating segmental spherical bearing Wall therein pivoted to the housing, bifurcated fingers on the free endof the closure member, said fingers having recesses therein spaced from the ends thereof, a bolt pivoted to the housing member and adapted to be swung between the ngers of the closure member, a washer disposed around said bolt and adapted to be seated in the recesses of the ngers, and a nut threaded on said bolt for seating the Washer in the recesses of the ngers to clamp the closure member against the housing member whereby said nut must be loosened to permit removal of the washer from the recesses before the bolt can be swung from between the fingers.

MATTHEW P. GRAHAM. GEORGE H. HUFFERD. JOSEPH E. CASSE. 

